What Would Happen If Bush Declared Himself Dictator Of America?

[Syrinx]

What if one night, in the very near future, you're sitting back and getting ready to watch "My Name Is Earl," or even "Countdown With Keith Olbermann," and suddenly you see a graphic come up that says "Special Message From The President."

And Mister Bush comes on and declares that, due to security concerns, the Constitution has been suspended. That the elections are postponed indefinitely.

What do you think would happen?

Anything?

Would the military move in on the White House to save our Constitution?

Would CNN report it if they did?

How many people would object?

[Swamp Rat]

1. I suppose we might find out very soon...

[Syrinx]

9. yeah

I'm trying to decide if I'm a raving paranoid lunatic, or if this shit is really happening.

:(

[onenote]

19. lunatic? No. But losing perspective?

yes, imo.

[yurbud]

58. when has it paid last couple of years to expect restraint from Bushies?

The fundamental problem the Dems have had is they are playing business as usual like a croquet game while the GOP is going Freddie Krueger on us.

this is not politics as usual, for the GOP, it's winner take all, and strategist Grover Norquist has said as much.

If you underestimate what these guys are willing to do, they will cut the legs out from under you.

That said, there seems to be a good chance the financial elite are frustrated with them and in the process of neutering them. But if they don't don't do what the OP said, it will not be because of self-restraint or respect for democracy.

[wake.up.america]

2. Most people wouldn't notice the difference.

[bdamomma]

35. they wouldn't notice the difference because of why they are in

denial,or they already know we are very close to a dictatorship.

[SammyWinstonJack]

43. The latter of course. The little pissant has stated his desire for a

dictatorship so long as he gets to play the lead role.

[Kutjara]

3. CNN and the rest of the MSM would spin it...

...as a good thing. They'd go into full propaganda mode and try to convince everyone that Bush had done the best thing possible to make America safe from terrorists and Democrats.

Joe Sixpack wouldn't care as long as he can still get ESPN and fortysix different kinds of chip dip.

[rpannier]

4. I think it would create a massive Civil War

The majority of Americans aren't as dumb or useless as some people here think.

[Syrinx]

6. it's not that the people are dumb; it's that the media fail to inform

Bush has chewed up the Constitution, but nobody knows.

[malaise]

15. Correct n/t

[Freedom_from_Chains]

26. No, there just lazy, and revolution tends to be real invasive on

one's private life.

[elocs]

49. A civil war, how? Or with what? And who?

As long as life continues much as it has, most Americans will not care. It will be the military which stops Bush if he were to try that. I believe that there are many officers who tolerate Bush and respect the presidency, but who would never support a Bush grab for power.

[LoKnLoD]

5. He would

also add that we all get another $300 tax break, and the people of Dumbfuckistan would rejoice. :sarcasm:

[luckyleftyme2]

8. HE WOULD THEN

Declare an 80 hour work week with "xmas" the only holiday and make it mandatory that we all give him a present.
DUH

[izzie]

21. For sure he would not make a horse Senator. but for calling

him self "Little Boots' I would not put it past him. I am not sure if I ever thought what we as the people would do. Right now we are trying to do it the legal way by the constitutions.

[cyclezealot]

7. With the 'War Commissions act' in effect/answer-nothing.

Did not the country do nothing when TOm Delay orchestrated the riot of the blue suits in front to the Dade county voters office in November 2000. ? Why would it be different now. You can be arrested without trial now, to think we are not but one step away from dictatorship.

[cyclezealot]

10. I am sure the Pentagon would cooperate.

Remember Wall Street money interests made contacts with the Pentagon to get FDR out of office and install Smedley Butler during the Depression. Why could it not happen again.

[onenote]

20. and I'm equally sure they would not.

[TomClash]

11. Civil War

The military would never go along with it.

[Kutjara]

13. What military?

The National Guard Reservists and Halliburton contractors? The only full-time military these days seem to be a handful of generals. They won't be able to do much with no troops.

[TomClash]

37. Don't kid yourself

There are 500,000 soldiers in the US Army alone and another 550-600,000 in the Army Reserve and Army National Guard.

[onenote]

46. beat me too it!

Folks who post without the slightest idea of what they are talking about seem all too common around here these days. Thanks for setting the record straight.

[Kutjara]

59. Gee, really?

And here I was thinking that the US military was actually composed of three colonels and a packmule. Good job there are experts here to show me the error of my ways. Guess some people need smilies to tell them what to think.

[Chipper Chat]

12. Whether we challenge it or not depends on Richard Dreyfuss.

Remember the "anthrax episode" on Close Encounters of the Third Kind? The goverment propaganda machine declared Devils Tower closed due to an fake anthrax scare to cover the landing of an alien space ship that they wanted to keep quiet. Only Richard Dreyfuss' character smelled a rat. Ergo: the government can do anything it wishes. Bush is the head of our government. He can declare marshall law any time he wants. Only a Richard Dreyfuss can save us.

[elehhhhna]

45. Don't forget the MOM who went there to reclaim her child, bub!

We'll be right there with y'all. Bank on it.

[Chipper Chat]

53. Yeah, I couldn't remember her name.

Melinda Dillon maybe?

[Land Shark]

14. Only the impatience of those aggrieved would work against us

A lot of sensible people understanding the situation like this would immediately realize all the implications and want instant actions. Impatience of the good guys would be the biggest danger at that point.

Only their disappointment with the lack of INSTANT GRATIFICATION in terms of overthrowing the tyrant in this hypothetical would be a powerful thing in terms of disabling the slow fuse of the righteous anger of the American people, whose anger is slow to raise but as big as the People are the source of all ultimate power in any society.

[tritsofme]

16. What if pigs could fly?

What if my shit smelled like flowers?

Discussions like this accomplish nothing productive.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[patricia92243]

22. I agree. This is a DISCUSSION board, and we can and will discuss whatever

we want to - within the guidelines of DU.

And, it does serve a purpose to discuss these type of things - if nothing else to relieve peoples fears and tensions.

I, personally, love being able to discuss the political situations that scare or upset me. It helps me get thing into perspective.

[Boston Critic]

17. Could it happen here?

I remember Art Buchwald doing a column after Nixon's resignation. He pointed out that the president had resigned in disgrace after his VP had, and that he was replaced by a man who had never been elected to national office. Yet there were no troops in the street and everyone was calm. The rule of law had been upheld.

Bush has spent nearly six years trying to tear down the rule of law and hold himself above any claims on him other than what he (and his puppetmasters) decide. After all, he is "the decider!"

I'm not quite ready to man the barricades, but it's a lot far-fetched fantasy today than it was before he was appointed to office. Take a look at Sinclair Lewis's novel, "It Can't Happen Here." Very readable, very scary.

[Waya]

24. When the Supreme Court appointed and installed.....

.....Bush in 2000, I thought - this can't happen here. This is America and the People won't stand for it. When the Patriot Act was rammed thru the Houses after 911 - I thought this can't happen here. This is America and the People won't take it.
When we invaded Iraq, based on lies, deceptions, for Bush's personal vendetta and Halliburtons gain, I thought this can't happen here. This is America and the People won't put up with it.
Katrina and the criminal incompetence with which it was handled, warrantless wiretapping, indefinite detentions, secret prisons, torture bills, etc, etc, etc, - everytime I thought this can't happen here. This is America and the People won't accept it any longer.

I wouldn't put anything, ANYTHING, past this goon squad in the White House - and not only can it happen here - it has happened here.

[OwnedByFerrets]

34. Good post Waya! nt

[Syrinx]

63. hey I enjoyed reading "The Fourth Network"

I won't lie to you... I borrowed it from the library. But it was an interesting book. Glad to make your acquaintance. :)

[Boston Critic]

65. Then tell your library to get my new book :)

Library sales count too! Glad you enjoyed it.

My new book (pub. date Nov. 17; in stores earlier) is "The Dream Team." It's the story of the rise and fall of DreamWorks.

And you never go wrong telling an author you liked his book. :)

[no_hypocrisy]

23. It wouldn't be like an onerous imposition, IMO.

It would be like a crisis, a paternal president coming on all forms of media, announcing a TEMPORARY suspension of the Constitution, and that it's done to protect us from external harm. He wouldn't use the word, "dictator". He'd still be the "president" but in a dictatorship without calling it such. ("All is well", etc.)

[Cassandra]

25. I keep thinking of the Nightwatch episodes from Babylon 5.

The coup, the brownshirts handling, or manhandling, security, the sudden disappearance of the news anchors, to be replaced with more compliant RWers. :scared:

[HereSince1628]

27. Only one change...they'd run up the 'W'astika in the morning

rather than the stars and stripes. The rest of the agenda is in place.

[mmonk]

28. It's already a kind of defacto dictatorship.

The only thing that hasn't gone his way is a Supreme Ct. ruling that he is trying an end around with the help of congress. But operationally, it's been pretty much dictatorial.

[Sabriel]

55. I have to agree there

Any bill he signs can have pretty much whatever he wants added onto it. If that's not dictatorial, what is?

Add to that the voting irregularities in the past elections and there you have it.

[VOX]

66. Sad but true. Habeas corpus gone. "Watch what you do, watch what you say."

Secret prisons. Torture. The "president" only appears at photo-op situations, with vetted audiences. Overly cooperative, highly enabling media. And no media in the thick of things in Iraq, in contrast to the way it was in Vietnam. Right wing in charge of all three branches of gov't. Wiretapping without warrants is okay. Etc., etc.

Is this really representative democracy in action????? :grr:

[originalpckelly]

29. He would be removed from the White House by his own Secret Service.

He knows that even his nutty Republicans wouldn't go for that. One man has no power if the military doesn't support him, and the way he has fucked them the past five years, they don't really support him.

[HughBeaumont]

30. ANYone who interrupts "Earl" gets multiple assbeatins!

Dictator or not.

[earth mom]

31. Hasn't it already happened?

It's just not official yet.

:sarcasm:

[Marie26]

32. Military would take him out.

Really. As long as we're spinning hypothetical scenarios, IMO that'd be the hypothetical result. The military does not like Bushco., by and large, and there's already a large degree of rebellion in the ranks against Bush's policies.

[elehhhhna]

47. I love the smell of mutiny in the morning.

[Perky]

54. MIlitary? Heck...Laura would take him out.

Secret Service would take hin out if the High Court so oderd it.

[sshan2525]

33. Nothing, unfortunately

90% of people would probably change the channel looking for "Deal or No Deal"

[indepat]

36. Don't know how many would object but the tens of millions who still

support would almost surely roar their approval and fawn obsequiously in adulation as so many do in newsreels at the sight or sound of their fueher.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

38. If he had the backing of the military..nothing.

He would immediately increase the number of NFL/NBA games and NASCAR races on TV. Throw in some more "Reality" and SitComs to put the people to sleep and tax-cuts to make them happy.

It's absurd to think that the American people would do more than complain that his announcement interrupted their favorite drivel on the tube.

[Beausoleil]

39. Things would be a heck of a lot easier! n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

48. !

:evilgrin:

[smirkymonkey]

61. Being a Dictator is Hard Work!!

:evilgrin:

[demwing]

40. He Would Get Spanked By Poppy

And black bagged by the CIA.

[Xenotime]

41. The pugs would celebrate

And I would rebel

[bdamomma]

52. I wouldn't take his shit laying down no way.

I hate his smugness and his arrogance, Fear that is all he has now.

[elehhhhna]

42. So THAT'S what all that Mission Accomplished bullshit was about.

[genie_weenie]

44. He doesn't need to. The 2 parties have ingeniously

divided the spoils of the country between themselves and are quite willing to trade off the Head Office to one another every 8-12 years.

[hfojvt]

56. Occam's Razor

Why would Bush's corporate masters want to allow a possible agitation like that, when the next shadow election will produce yet another government which says 'how high?' whenever they say 'jump'?

Not gonna happen at this juncture. Wouldn't be - prudent.

[GreenArrow]

50. The Beast From the Sea

Revelation 13
1And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

3And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.

4And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?

5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

[Bad Penny]

51. I think at best you'll see it

mentioned on the CNN news scroll at the bottom of your TV screen. It won't be treated as important enough news to cover in depth like Anna Nicole's latest adventure in tragic happyland

[hsher]

57. ...... Hasn't he...?

:shrug:

[BeHereNow]

60. IF? IF?? Don't you mean WHEN?

Poppy Bush has bought land in Paraguay?
What does that indicate to any thinking person?

The entire country is about to be Katrina'd.

BHN:banghead:

[MrSlayer]

62. I'm not really sure.

Part of me thinks everyone would just go about thier business as if it was no big deal. Another part of me thinks there would be mass outrage, the mass outrage that should have gone on for the past 6 years. If I had to put money on it though I'd go with the former. That's how little faith I now have in my fellow countrymen.

[Jack Rabbit]

64. !!

Kiev, 2005
Photo: Ukrainian Embassy, Belgium

[Hubert Flottz]

67. What do you think "Unitary Executive" means?